We Make Our Choices, Then Our Choices Make Us

The past two days, I have been able to attend a training revolving around a book Tom Hierck co-authored with Charlie Coleman and Chris Weber called Pyramid of Behavior Interventions: Seven Keys to a Positive Learning Environment.  There were fantastic discussions allowing educators to collaborate and brainstorm ways to make our classrooms and schools positive learning environments.

I could have taken away how to use data to drive our decisions or discussed the schoolwide systems we have in place.  However, the idea that most resonated with me was a quote by John Wooden.

 "There is a choice in everything we do.  So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you."

This reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from literature...

This concept is what I hope to bring back to my classroom and to everyone I see at Goodrich.  The choices I make will impact the choices my students make.  These day-to-day, simple choices such as choosing to say good morning to each student, comment on a haircut or lost tooth, or how I choose to react to a negative behavior will create a positive or negative learning environment for my students.  If I model making positive, kind choices, hopefully my students will make similar choices.  We need to challenge students to be responsible for their own learning environment, so that they will make choices to impact others positively.